In-situ monitoring of EuTiO3 and SrTiO3 film growth using time-resolved X-ray scattering during pulsed-laser deposition

Abstract

Time-resolved X-ray scattering was employed to in-situ monitor the epitaxial growth process of the thin films and multilayers of EuTiO3 and SrTiO3 during pulsed laser deposition. The temporal intensity oscillations of the reflected X-rays at anti-Bragg position and the transient processes following the flux pulses were observed. The temporal intensity oscillations were used to control the film thickness, and the reflectivity along the crystal truncation rod was used to measure both the film thickness and the surface/interface roughness. The primary features of the X-ray intensity oscillations were reproduced via simulating the experimental data using diffusive rate equation model. Several mechanisms of determining the X-ray intensity features were discerned.